The 'stock item' thing came about a few years ago as a result of grown-up children and their husbands/wives/partners using a visit home to sort out the odd problem - anything from a shot of windscreen washer fluid or a brake-light bulb for their car to a surplus fan heater to take home. The facts that 1) I rarely, no, never dispose of anything I can imagine a use for, 2) I merged households many moons ago when I got married and kept the 'spare' kettle, cutlery, etc, 3) I have sadly cleared the homes of a number of deceased relatives, and 4) I am not short of storage space in outbuildings here - all these mean that I have a lot of stuff which I am happy to distribute around the family if someone has a need for it.
Just recently I seem, accidentally as it were, to have introduced a mobile stock distribution service. A quick trip to Oxford was organised to avoid daughter and son-in-law incurring silly bills for the replacement of a couple of roof slates and the planing of a misfitting door. It was a slight disadvantage that this necessitated transporting a full set of ladders, but the sausage casserole was a worthy reward. While there we noticed that an electrical switch was on its metaphorical last legs so back at home I dipped into the appropriate box and popped one in the post to them.
Then, last week, we hurtled off to south Devon for a first visit to the new home of younger son and daughter-in-law who last month moved from rented accommodation to a very fine converted barn. Into our car went their winter wheels/tyres previously stored in our barn and a heavy oak table they bought on Ebay months ago in anticipation of their move (we had kindly collected this for them from the seller). Also, a small tool kit and a pull-cord light for their bathroom. Ten hours' driving in 2 days but great to see them and their house - and a very fine rib of beef for dinner! And what a lot of space I have now to introduce some more stock.
